Civic 97 eats oil. Why? What to do?

Hi everybody,
I bought used '97 Civic CX 2-door hatchback two years ago and have
noticed that the engine eats the oil signigicantly (3000 miles
decreased the oil level by half). Otherwise it runs great, just passed
the emission test.
Is my engine on its way out?
Is there some inexpensive way to correct it?
If engine dies, how much could it cost to replace or repair the
engine?

Thanks a lot!

Viktor

 

What do you mean "decreased the oil level by half"? Halfway between "add"
and "full" on the dipstick, or disappears off the stick completely?

If its just down half a quart (between add and full on the dipstick), its
fine.

If it is literally using half the oil in it in 3000 miles (which would only
be down 2 quarts), it is still nominally within spec. Check it more often
and whenever it drops below the "add" line on the dipstick, put in one
quart.

Not enough info here. How many miles on it? Are you seeing a puff of blue
smoke when you drive it? Does it have any other problems?

Probably not.

If the engine dies from oil starvation, you can pretty much just throw it
away.

 

After 3000 miles, is the oil still above the low mark on the dipstick?

About how much oil are you adding every 3000 miles? If it's less than a quart, I
don't think there's a major problem.

Check the outside of the engine from beneath the valve cover to beneath the oil
pan gasket. Do you see any oil on the outside of the engine?

How is the car's fuel mileage, and when was the last time the PCV valve was
changed?

A failed (or failing) PCV valve may cause leakage past oil seals and low fuel
mileage. Replacing the PCV valve at least every 60k miles often pays off.

Also, is the coolant reservoir level steady?

How many miles are on this Honda?

Caroline
91 Civic, 158k miles, still 40+ mpg

 

have a compression check done.
check/adjust the valves.
check for leaks.

 

Guys, thanks a lot for your responses.

Here are the details that I failed to mention.
1. My Honda Civic CX 97 has 160 000 miles on it.
2. After I changed the oil last time (and the oil level was above
"Full" line directly after changing), the oil level has dropped to
BELOW the "Add" line after I drove 3000-3500 miles.
3. Other then the drop in oil level I don't have other concerns. The
milage is great (5.9 L/100 km - I am in Canada), no blue smok, just
passed my emission test recently.
4. No leak of oil detected anywhere.
5. Don't know what PCV valve is, will find out.
6. When I detected that the oil level is less then "Add" mark, I
poured about 1L of oil (I guess, about 1 quart) and it's full again.

Thank you very much for all your help.

Viktor

 

It sounds like its OK - Honda considers a quart (liter) in one thousand
miles normal consumption.

 

I wouldn't fill it "above" the full line, though... and wait when you check
it to let the oil drain back into the pan. If you check it right after
running you might get a reading that is a little lower than it really should
be.

 

The hard decision is what to do about the timing belt. If you don't
know if/when it was replaced, you might want to do that now. I think
Honda recommended changing it every 90K miles so even if it was done
on time it is coming due again. It is kind of expensive (labor) and
most people replace the water pump at the same time. Use Honda parts.

I agree that your oil consumption is not a problem. Just check/add
every 1000 miles or so.

 

pretty much normal for a "mature" engine like yours. the PCV is worth a
shot tho.

 

Honda do tend to burn oil at relatively low mileage. Doesn't mean a
thing, but is an inconvenience to keep checking and adding.

If it really bugs you, try a Nissan next time, particularly Maxima.
They generally have no noticeable oil useage, even at your mileage.

JM

 

Timing belt/water pump is not that hard to do... if you get the tools and
parts in advance and have a weekend to spare (and don't have a Neighborhood
Gestapo organization which forbids you to work on your car). It should cost
you about $250 for all the belts (PTO, timing), water pump, and oil seals.
Since the Civic does not have balance shafts (I believe) it should be even
easier!